You can't leave me
by KrymynalKrimzon
Summary: Lou likes to hang out with his friend Ox, but the thought of Ox leaving him like all the others nags the deepest reaches of his brain. To find some sort of answer to Ox's shocking arrival, Lou travels outside of their known world into the factory to discover the ugly truth.


"You're doing amazing, Ox!" Lou called out from the end of the practice course. Normally Lou would run the course with everyone, but as of late he was sitting back and just wanting to observe from afar and actually get a good look at how his advanced class was doing. They had been here a week but the dolls were already almost up to the high standards.

The awkward green stuffed doll was honestly doing pretty good, though as much as Lou wanted to overlook it, he left turmoil behind him at every step. All the other dolls couldn't keep up with him and could hardly complete half the course after Ox barreled through it. Lou knew everyone was angry at Ox for messing everything up. Even so, as Ox crossed the finish line Lou eagerly hugged him.

Even if every doll in the world turned against Ox, Lou was happy to be his friend. Being in charge had its benefits, like being able to protect the ones that needed help.

"You're first, amazing! At this rate you'll be in the you know where in no time."

Right, the other world where everyone wanted to go so badly. It always sounded like a dream, a perfect place to be. How long had he been helping dolls on their way there? He was losing track.

"Lou! He messed everything up!"

"He can't keep running the course with us."

Lou turned his gaze away from Ox and to the other disgruntled dolls. Some of them laid on the ground with ink splattering their uniforms. Some were tangled up in large balls of yarn. Unavoidable hazards of the training. He couldn't be soft on them, the real world was going to be so much worse, and the Gauntlet was going to demand so much out of all of them. They only had two more days to train before he was going to let this class run it. From recent results, he expected them all to fail.

Lou really didn't want to admit it, but the thought made him smile.

"Maybe you guys should try harder like Ox?" He coldly replied, his arms crossed over his chest as he looked the offending dolls up and down. "I mean, come on. You're the advanced class. Let's go Ox, none of the others will pass class today. Everyone else to the washing machine!"

At his order, the robotic assistants blew their air horns before helping untangle the necessary dolls and leading them to the dreaded machine. Lou averted his gaze as they were all loaded in, the large round door slamming shut.

Lou turned away once he heard the machine powered up. He reached out, taking ahold of one of Ox's large ears as he often did. It was easier than grabbing his stubby arms. Lou calmly started to walk, pulling the reluctant Ox.

"Am I really messing them up, Lou?"

"What? No, course not! They're just not trying hard enough. If they want to leave like you they need to try harder."

Leave, that was everyone's goal after all. Leave this place, leave him.

"Lou? You look troubled today." Ox cautiously said as they walked back to the ground circular stone courtyard. New dolls were pouring in from the latest batch.

Lou watched the incoming dolls. Normally he would go greet them all, but his heart wasn't in it today. "I'm just exhausted Ox, don't worry."

No matter how many batches came through nothing like Ox ever arrived. Absolutely nothing. Nothing colorful like him, nothing as plush or soft. Just the same new dolls fresh off the lines. Ox truly was a mystery.

"If you're tired you really should rest, you're the perfect doll here after all. You deserve a break!" Ox enthusiastically encouraged Lou, using his stubby arm to pat Lou's leg, the only thing he could really reach.

"Yea, you're right Ox… Why don't you head off and show the new dolls around? I'm going to do a touch of work before I head to my office." Lou patted Ox's head, trying to resist smiling when he watched that one eye of Ox's light up with joy. For such a unique doll, Ox was truly amazing in so many ways.

Lou stood back and fondly watched as Ox hobbled his way over to the new dolls, calling their attention and trying to give the same speech Lou always gave. It was honestly almost cute how Ox tried so hard to be perfect.

With Ox busy and duties done for the day, it was time to get to work for real.

He needed to know where Ox came from.

Careful as possible Lou made his way out of the Insitute of Perfection. Being here so long he knew all the ins and out, though he honestly never left. The factory was just that, the factory. Sure he never saw it with his own eyes, but everyone knows what a factory looks like!

It's always ugly, metal and gray. Probably grimy and disorganized too. So ugly.

As Lou was about to enter the pipe he took one last look back at his perfect world. Everything to his high standards, everything pressed, iron and made to be perfect.

He would return once he found his answer as to why Ox existed. Sure Ox never said anything, but surely he had to be curious too. Maybe the answer would benefit them both.

Lou turned away slowly, adjusting his suit nervously before he started his climb up the pipe. It was safe, the batches only arrived during the day and since it was getting late, nothing else should be coming down the pipe.

Every step took him farther than everything he knew, everything he felt comfortable with. Every step also took him closer to an answer.

The blinding factory lights burned his eyes as he crawled his way out of the pipe, stumbling near-blind onto the conveyer belt. The belt was stopping and going constantly, just leading right back into the pipe he escaped. Upon feeling it move his feet hit the pipe tripping him. He would have fallen all the way back down if he hadn't grabbed onto the lip at the last moment.

With a tired groan, Lou scrambled up, his delicate hands grasping the rough belt, pulling his legs back out of the pipe before he lost his balance. His eyes now use to the factory lights allowed him to get a good look at the place, once he was up on his feet and walking the opposite way on the conveyor belt. He didn't want to fall back in.

The factory was the same, but different than he imagined. Across the room were dozens of belts with all sorts of different toys, even plush ones! Ox must have come from one of those belts, but how did he get on the doll's belt?

Lou slowly turned, taking his time to observe the large room.

His belt was labeled 12 in the line. All the belts, except one, were heading the same direction to their own pipes in this area. He could see far, far down the belt there was a mess of belts and machine making the dolls. He didn't want to go that far down- it would be excessively far from his own pipe.

The one that wasn't heading the same way was placed below all the others. Large rubber hands were placed by each belt beside a scanner, tossing out the defects onto the lower belt.

Lou kept a steady pace as he walked against the belt. He wrung his hands together nervously, letting his eyes jump belt to belt. He could see something in the distant green and brightly, but it was too far down the line to actually get a good look. From the general shape though, Lou could already tell they were different from Ox… Which meant…

Lou turned his gaze downward to the lower belt, where the rejects were tossed. He needed to know where they went, maybe there were more people like Ox. After a moment of hesitation, he jumped down, hitting the belt roughly and falling flat on his face.

Maybe he should run the courses more before he gets too rusty. A perfect doll should have nailed that landing.

Lou walked to the end of the belt to the large pipe. The end was a red light, unlike all the other pipes. The answer was there, why wait now?

Lou calmly stepped into the pipe, fixing his crinkled suit as he walked. This was too much jumping and climbing for his liking. He was too perfect to get messy like this, but it wasn't like he had anyone else he could trust to check this out for him.

Upon reaching the end of the tunnel he saw what the red light really was.

A large belt was feeding scraps into a machine. Inside was fire, burning up all the scraps as the jagged jaws of the machine open and closed, releasing the heat of the fire at even intervals.

This… This was a garbage shoot, a place for rejects to get chopped up. They weren't meant to exist anymore.

If they weren't meant to exist, then no human should want them right? Ox couldn't go to the big world and find a child because... What child would want garbage?

Ox was meant to be burned or stuck here… just like him. Lou couldn't help but laugh. It felt good to laugh now. The intense silence he had kept himself in and the clanking of machinery was getting too much to handle.

He could crush Ox's dream, show him the truth and deter him from the real world. He could, then Ox could never leave him! Even if Ox hated him and ran away, Lou knew he would be happy, just knowing he wasn't the only one kept from a happy ending.


End file.
